Actually, the most awkward person in the conference room was Yakumo.
Watching the surrounding teachers and friends studying her spar with Karin, she felt a strange sensation of being pointed at.
As for the Hidden Leaf patrol team that accidentally stumbled upon her spar with Karin, she and Karin had actually discovered them long ago.
It was just that the patrol team hid very far away and fled the scene in advance, so they didn't care.
At this time, everyone in the conference room focused their gaze on Chino, waiting for her answer.
Even Yakumo couldn't help but look at Chino.
She was actually also very curious about why Chino possessed the same ability to manipulate blood as her, after all, her ability originated from the 'Koryugan'.
Ryuzetsu suddenly became nervous.
She knew that once it involved the Akatsuki organization, the high-level officials of the Hidden Leaf would never let it go easily without getting an answer. Fortunately, their identities hadn't been exposed yet, so she answered on behalf of Chino: "I'm sorry, due to some special reasons, our Hidden Grass Village concealed Chino's surname."
"Oh?"
Everyone became more curious upon hearing this.
Ryuzetsu said: "Chino is actually the last clansman of the Chinoike clan, and the Chinoike clan is a bloodline family possessing the 'Ketsuryugan'. The reason Chino can manipulate blood is because of her 'Ketsuryugan'."
"Chinoike clan?"
Everyone present looked puzzled, obviously hearing this name for the first time.
Only the Third Hokage pondered, seeming to recall something. After a while, he asked: "Is it the Chinoike clan exiled by the Uchiha clan during the Warring States Period?"
"So it was a ninja clan active in the Warring States Period?"
"What, exiled by the Uchiha clan?"
"Ketsuryugan?"
Hearing the Third Hokage's question, a commotion arose in the conference room.
Everyone finally understood why they hadn't heard of the 'Chinoike clan'. It turned out that this clan had been exiled by the Uchiha clan and exited the stage of the Ninja World before the Hidden Leaf was established.
Seeing the Third Hokage directly point out the origin of the Chinoike clan, Ryuzetsu nodded: "Mhm!"
Everyone felt relieved.
Chino was of the bloodline of a dojutsu bloodline family, possessing a pair of precious dojutsu Bloodline Limits. It was reasonable for the Hidden Grass Village to cover for her.
So Tsunade didn't dwell on this issue, turning to ask Chino: "In that case, Akatsuki's 'D' might be a clansman of the Chinoike clan just like you. Do you know anything?"
Chino shook her head: "No, my parents and clansmen died long ago!"
Ryuzetsu also said: "When our Hidden Grass took Chino in, Chino was already an orphan!"
Asuma interjected: "Akatsuki's 'D' might be another Chinoike clansman wandering in the Ninja World unrelated to Chino's parents!"
Mitokado Homura said: "Since the Chinoike clan was exiled by the Uchiha clan, we can inquire about some information from the Uchiha side."
Kakashi smiled bitterly: "The Uchiha clan now only has Sasuke and Shinji left. They are only thirteen or fourteen years old, mostly likely unaware of these old matters from the Warring States Period."
Tsunade said: "Anyway, at least we found some clues!"
After the meeting ended, Ryuzetsu and Chino were escorted out of the Anbu Building by Kakashi.
Yakumo also followed out. Looking at the retreating figures of Ryuzetsu and Chino, Yakumo thought to herself: "No wonder it felt somewhat familiar. So Chino's eyes are the 'Ketsuryugan'. Why does Shinji have other 'Ketsuryugan' in his hands? Also, what is the relationship between the 'Koryugan' in my eye sockets and the 'Ketsuryugan'?"
On second thought, Yakumo threw all these questions out of her mind.
Compared to considering these, how not to be investigated by the village was her top priority right now.
Fortunately, both she and Karin used 'Wood Release' at that time, so the village's direction of suspicion was that the Akatsuki organization had cracked the technology of transplanting Hashira cells, not suspecting her because of 'Wood Release'.
But she also knew clearly that the village wouldn't let it go easily this time and would definitely investigate to the end!
Land of Demons.
Beside a small wooden cabin deep in the mountains, Tanjiro, who was chopping wood, suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky above.
Because the originally clear sky turned gloomy in just a few seconds, as if it had become night.
Rumble...
Then, a roar came from the sky!
However, Tanjiro stared for a long time but saw no lightning.
"Not thunder..."
He muttered.
Logically speaking, there should be lightning first, then thunder. But for some reason, the roar in the sky continued, yet not a bit of lightning was seen.
"Strange!"
Shaking his head, Tanjiro withdrew his gaze and chopped wood again.
After the Battle of the Land of Rice Fields, the 'Demon King' Ryūhei Ubuyashiki was defeated and fled, and the Upper Rank Demons were either dead or injured. He took the opportunity to break free from Ryūhei Ubuyashiki's control and hid alone in the remote deep mountains of the Land of Demons to live on.
He had no ambition. Becoming a demon wasn't to increase strength, but because he believed Ryūhei Ubuyashiki's instigation, thinking only by conquering the Ninja World could he save the Demon Slayer World.
However, after a great battle, he suddenly realized that Ryūhei Ubuyashiki was simply using him and the Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps. Invading the Ninja World couldn't save the Demon Slayer World.
Having figured this out, he hid in the deep mountains, causing no more trouble.
Anyway, after becoming a demon, he had never eaten humans. The 'Sun Breathing' he practiced made him a special demon who could move freely under the sun. So hiding in the deep mountains, he felt like he returned to his childhood, to the time living in the mountains with his parents and younger siblings.
Rumble...
Suddenly, another roar exploded in the sky. This sound was louder and more lasting than before!
"Wrong!"
Tanjiro looked up abruptly, seeing a small hole seemed to have broken in the dome of the sky. A lump of pitch-black stuff squeezed in through the small hole, then fell towards the ground.
Although not knowing what that falling lump of pitch-black stuff was, as 'Upper Rank One', Tanjiro's intuition told him that thing was definitely nothing good.
Moreover, he sensed a trace of familiar aura on that lump of pitch-black stuff.
After a slight hesitation, Tanjiro rushed into the cabin, took his Nichirin Sword, and then with a swish, turned into an afterimage, pouncing towards the area where that lump of pitch-black stuff was falling.
A long time later, Tanjiro arrived at a forest.
"Should be around here, but why are there no traces? Could it be that what fell wasn't something like a meteorite?"
While thinking to himself, he searched in the forest.
If it were something like a meteorite, falling from high altitude would definitely smash out a huge impact crater. But the forest in front of him was still quiet and peaceful, so he began to suspect that what fell from the sky wasn't a physical substance like a meteorite.
"Who!?"
Just then, Tanjiro suddenly drew his Nichirin Sword, pointing at a black shadow behind a tree not far away.
The black shadow seemed intimidated by Tanjiro's blade, slowly revealing its figure from behind the tree.
Seeing the appearance of the black shadow clearly, Tanjiro was stunned: "Nezuko?"